Forum addresses healthcare changes for businesses

By Eileen Mellon, Special to the Citizen

08/06/12

The Supreme Court spoke loud and clear almost a month ago when it upheld the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) as constitutional in a monumental decision that will affect businesses and individuals alike.

Businesses in the Richmond area are now left trying to decipher and understand the complexities of the bill and how it will affect them and insurance carriers.

“Whether you represent small, large, public or nonprofit entities, we’re all going to be effected as employers and consumers,” Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce and BB&T Insurance Services of Virginia executive Seth Roth said during a panel discussion about healthcare reform July 19 at the Anthem Headquarters in Henrico.

The discussion, hosted by the Chamber to address the changes that come with the ACA, involved four leading experts who spoke on behalf of various health-related businesses to assist in the understanding of what the decision means and what local companies need to do to move forward.

The ACA essentially will make going without insurance something that is taxable by the government, while enlisting new laws that employers must comply with or face penalties. Many of the ACA changes have started to take effect this year.

Employers now will be required to complete W2 reporting on the cost of employer-sponsored group health care coverage.

For the W2 reporting a section will be added to box 12 to include a new code “DD” that reports the costs of employee sponsored healthcare coverage.

Anthem and other health insurers in Virginia already are dealing with the new laws, as rebate checks are being mailed to customers for not spending enough of health premiums on medical costs under some health plans.

The medical loss ratio rebates issued to consumers require insurance companies to spend a certain percentage of premium dollars on medical care and health care improvement. The rebates have to be distributed as taxable income to employers, said Susan Maley Rash, vice president at BB&T Benefit Consultants of Virginia.

Employers also must cover specific preventative health services for women with exceptions applying to religious employers. Employers also must have offer a $2,500 maximum contribution to healthcare flexible spending (FSA) plans and enlist new Medicare taxes, which will be increased by nine percent.

There also will be a tax on unearned income for high-income individuals and couples.

Opinions on law split
One of the ACA decisions that already has been implemented and will remain in effect is the requirement to cover adult children until age 26 and the requirement of non-grandfathered plans to cover certain preventative care services without cost-sharing.

By 2014, people may no longer be declined for pre-existing conditions, and there will be a modified community rating for small groups and individuals.

The rates will be based upon family tier, age, geography and tobacco use. The change is designed to decrease insurance rates for those who are older and increase rates for insured younger people.

“The healthcare reform laws were needed,” said Mckinley Tucker, CEO of Risk and Identity Solutions, a Henrico-based small business.

“We are the only industrialized nation without healthcare and I think people should try to get some of the emotion out of the issue and look at the positives,” Tucker said. “My daughter is 23 years old and was in the hospital over 20 times between Feb. 14 and now, and she has more pre-existing conditions than you could imagine. As a retired teacher, I was thinking about taking a job to help her pay for her insurance because it would go up. But with the new law she can stay on my insurance until 26 and I can keep her on the plan for as long as I can.”

Not everyone is so optimistic about the ACA; larger companies of 50 employees or more may have to deal with penalties.

Beginning in 2014, there will be an employer penalty for not offering minimum coverage, as well as an employer tax for not offering minimum coverage and an annual insurer fee for fully insured businesses.

If companies have less than 25 full-time employees who each make an average of less than $50,000, there is a credit allowable for a two-year period but only if coverage is purchased through the exchange.

“We will probably benefit from the new law,” said Charles E. McCabe, president and CEO of People’s Tax in Glen Allen. “I have about 15 full-time and 20 seasonal employees so we’re below 50 employees and will not be affected by the penalties, and we pay 50 percent of the employees’ health care now.”

Tax credits will help small businesses and nonprofit organizations, and the credits currently total as much as 35 percent of the businesses’ health premiums but will increase to 50 percent in 2014.

However medium to large businesses - those with at least 50 full-time employees - will not benefit because the “pay or play” penalty will be enacted. Certain employers that either don’t offer health care or do not meet the law’s test for affordability will face penalties.

It is possible that changes could be made to the ACA through future legislation or court rulings; however, the health care reform law is currently in effect and employers should continue to prepare for ACA changes that will become effective in the next two years. For answers to many of the big questions, carriers and employers will have to wait until after the election in November.

RAMPS (Ramp Access Made Possible by Students) recently received an $8,000 grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. The award was one of 75 grants totaling more than $600,137 awarded by the Reeve Foundation to nonprofit organizations nationwide that provide more opportunities, access, and daily quality of life for individuals living with paralysis, their families and caregivers.

RAMPS, an organization founded by then-Henrico County high school students to build ramps for local low-income residents who need them, will use the grant to purchase modular wheelchair ramp supplies. These supplies will be used by local high school RAMPS clubs, who provide volunteers to build the ramps. > Read more.

Henrico resident Larry Loving, Jr., will compete with three other locals – Thomas Scribner (Richmond), Roscoe McGhee (Midlothian) and Larry Loving (Richmond) in the Liberty Mutual Insurance Invitational National Finals at TPC Sawgrass, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Feb. 26-Mar. 1. The foursome qualified for the national golf tournament by winning the Liberty Mutual Insurance Invitational, held at Whiskey Creek Golf Club in Ijamsville, Md. on June 11. That event supported the RiteCare Center for Childhood Language Disorders.

The Henrico Police Athletic League (PAL) held its Sixth Annual Awards Banquet Feb. 5 at The Cultural Arts Center of Glen Allen, celebrating accomplishments of 2014 and recognizing outstanding contributions to the organization. Henrico County Juvenile Domestic Court Judge Denis Soden served as master of ceremonies and former Harlem Globetrotter Melvin Adams served as keynote speaker.

Among the 2014 honorees were Richmond International Raceway (Significant Supporter), Richmond Strikers Soccer Club (Significant Supporter), Henrico County Schools-Pupil Transportation (Summer Camp Supporter), Bruce Richardson, Jr. (Youth of the Year), Sandra Williams (Volunteer of the Year), Thomas Williams (Employee of the Year), Mikki Pleasants (Board Member of the Year), and Michelle Sheehan (Police Officer of the Year). > Read more.

It was another win for Willow Lawn when Travinia Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar opened there six months ago, nestled in the heart of the re-made shopping center. The contemporary American Italian restaurant boasts 13 locations up and down the East Coast, with the Henrico location opening in August.

In the same week, I hit up Travinia twice, once for lunch and once for a late dinner. At lunchtime on a weekday, I was overwhelmed by the smell of garlic and by the number of working professionals in nice suits on their lunch breaks. When we first walked in, I was concerned our meal would be a little too pricey based on the décor – it’s a really nice place. Luckily, the menu has a variety of options for every budget. > Read more.

There’s a ton of sugar in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. Literal sugar, as SpongeBob Squarepants (Tom Kenny) and Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) inhale their own weight in cotton candy and eat ice cream, one scoop per mouthful.

At one point we burrow into the brain of our boxy yellow hero and discover the inner workings of his brain: googly-eyed cakes and candies that giggle and sing. All of which is extremely appropriate for a film like Sponge Out of Water. Because not only is the movie sweet (the “awwww” kind of sweet), but it’s the equivalent of a 30-candy bar sugar rush, zipping between ideas like a sponge on rocket skates.

The story under all this is really not that complicated. SpongeBob flips burgers at the Krusty Krab. > Read more.

With this last round of snow still fresh on the ground, the best way to start the weekend may be at Southern Season for their weekly wine-tasting program, Fridays Uncorked. Families with cabin fever will enjoy the Richmond Kids Expo, taking place tomorrow at the Richmond Raceway Complex. Some date night options include the Rock & Roll Jubilee at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, HATTheatre’s production of “The Whale” and National Theatre Live’s “Treasure Island” at the University of Richmond. For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.